This week we speak with Yasushi Ohki, the Executive Director of the Green Violin Community Development Company. Join us as we chat with him about the business of fighting the system and pushing housing solutions into the gaps that can make a difference, as well as looking at better ways of being a neighbour in an effort to melt the walls that separate people from housing. Take a listen!

Charly Ligety is the Director of The Housing Innovation Collaborative (HICo), an action-oriented non-profit housing research and development platform based in Los Angeles, CA. HICo highlights the next generation of construction, finance, and policy solutions to address the housing affordability crisis. His recent work on rapid shelter solutions has been featured in national press and published with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Dr. Alina Turner is the co-founder of HelpSeeker, a social enterprise focused on scaling systems innovation to accelerate social change across Canada. HelpSeeker uses machine learning, data science, and social innovation to help people access services that improve their lives. A researcher and entrepreneur, Alina led the implementation of Canada’s first Homelessness Management Information System and designed Calgary’s Housing First System of Care.

For the final episode of 2021, Meg, Michael and Stefania look back at our podcast’s first year. Join us to hear our personal favourite moments, our hopes for the new year and what home means to us. A huge and warm thank you to everyone who have listened and supported us in our first year of On the Way Home. We can’t wait to show you what we have planned for 2022!

The documentary Us and Them spans over 10 years following the lives of four people experiencing homelessness, including Karen who spent 20 years on Canada’s streets. Karen is a long-time friend of the film’s producer, co-writer and co-director, Krista. The two join us on the podcast this week to talk about their experiences and the documentary.

Andrew Cowan joins us to talk about the National Housing Strategy Solutions Labs. He is a Senior Specialist on the Demonstrations and Excellence team in Innovation and Partnerships at CMHC and leads the administration of Solutions Labs, which provides housing stakeholders with funding and expert innovation lab consultants to help solve complex housing problems using innovation. This On the Way Home episode was brought to you by the good people at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

The Housing Supply Challenge is heading into round three in January 2022, the Northern Access Round: Supply Chain Solutions for Northern and Remote Housing. Building in the north is expensive and difficult. This challenge invites residents and professionals to submit ideas and solutions to improve Canada’s housing supply chain in northern and remote regions. Listen and learn more! This On the Way Home episode was brought to you by the good people at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Justine Levesque is a Research and Evaluation Officer at Hub Solutions, a social enterprise at the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. She talks to us about a recent report she worked on, Understanding the Needs of Workers in the Homelessness Support Sector. Justine is passionate about using participatory research approaches to create collaborate spaces for people with lived experiences to be research partners and not simply research participants.

How big does a 3D printer have to be in order to produce a home? Why is 3D-printing housing slow to gain momentum in Canada? Could it play a role in ending homelessness? Explore the answers to these questions in our interview with Ed MacNab, CEO of 3D Printed Homes Corporation. He brings a broad base of experience in construction and the oil patch, electronics and IT, and various startups including a tech venture that grew to a market cap of over $600 million.

Dianne Himbeault is a professional planner with over 25 years of experience. She has been with CMHC for more than 10 years in a variety of roles and is currently an Outreach Specialist promoting the National Housing Strategy. We talk about the role communities play and the National Housing Co-Investment Fund. This On the Way Home episode was brought to you by the good people at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.